Smash: A Stepbrother MMA Romance (Includes bonus novel Rock Hard!)

by Hamel, B. B.

  “Thanks, Linds. I am too.”

  “She’s a nice lady. Always was nice to me, at least.”

  “Yeah. I’m pretty fond of her.”

  She checked her phone and sighed. “Another one?” she muttered.

  “What is it?”

  “Just another party, like that last one.” She looked at me for a second. “You should come with me.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “After last time? No way.”

  “Look, I promise I won’t leave you hanging again.” She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor. Besides, you already said you’d come to another one with me.”

  “I don’t know, Linds. I’m not really sure I’m up for a party tonight.” I stifled a yawn, looking away.

  “Come on. What else is there to do around here?”

  “Nap?”

  She nodded earnestly. “Solid point. But how about we both nap after this shift and then I’ll pick you up at eight?”

  I sighed. I really wasn’t in the mood to go to a party, but I had been neglecting Lindsey lately. She had gone out of her way to apologize for the first time, and I hadn’t seen her outside of the Blue in a while.

  “Okay, fine,” I said.

  “Great!” she said, perking up.

  “But seriously, if you leave me alone with another creep I will burn down your apartment.”

  She laughed. “It’s a deal.”

  The rest of the break flew by, and we were back on the floor. I glanced at Lindsey once or twice, and she seemed genuinely excited for me to come out with her. Maybe she really had figured it out from last time and was sorry.

  In the end, I never did spit in that guy’s food.

  But later on, after my shift was over and I was curling up in bed to take a much-needed nap, I felt a slight tinge of regret.

  He was such a fucking asshole. I really should have.

  “Hell yeah, party time!” Linds yelled out the window, her little red Miata taking the turns fast and easy.

  I laughed. “Where’d you get all this energy?”

  “I napped!”

  I laughed. She seemed almost manic, bursting with joy. “Don’t these parties get old?” I asked.

  “At this point, the party has gone from played out to exciting and back again maybe thirty times.”

  I laughed again, enjoying her enthusiasm, but part of me was wondering where she found the energy. She looked as if she were just as exhausted as she was earlier in the day, and her hair was still pulled back in a tight bun, but she didn’t seem nearly as tired as she had. I wondered if she even slept at all, but she must have.

  “Like the car?” she asked me.

  “Yeah, I do. Where’d you even get something like this?”

  “Craigslist, obviously. It’s old but it’s still got some life left.”

  I looked around at the tiny little sports car and guessed it was from the mid-nineties, but wasn’t sure. It looked a little beat up, but Linds obviously loved it.

  “How can you afford it?”

  “Surprisingly inexpensive.”

  “Huh, maybe I need to start looking at Craigslist.”

  “Hell yeah you do, girl!”

  The night was cool and comfortable, and the forecast said it wouldn’t rain. We drove through the mostly-empty roads with the top down, the wind whipping through our hair, and I had to admit that I was already feeling a little bit better. I wished I had seen Reid before I left, but he was still out somewhere. I didn’t want to call his cell for fear of looking like a psycho stalker, so I just left a note for our parents and headed out.

  We pulled up to the same spot as last time, and it looked like the exact same party from last time had never ended. As I climbed out of the car, yanking down my skirt as I went, I felt like I was entering some weird time warp.

  That was the strange thing about small towns. It felt like time moved differently, like it dragged and dragged and then suddenly caught up. Parties seemed like they lasted forever, the same party over and over, until one day that party ended. Everywhere else kept up with the times, but small towns moved slowly and then all at once, big huge stuttering steps to the future.

  I followed Linds into the party, smiling at a few people that I recognized from the flip cup game. We quickly got some beer and then found the same exact chairs we had sat in last time.

  “Cheers, to Ridgewood,” Lindsey said.

  I clinked her plastic cup with mine and sipped the cheap foamy beer. “Lots of people tonight,” I said.

  “More than usual.”

  “So,” I said, turning my head toward her, “I’ve been dying to ask. Any guys in your life?”

  “Guys in my life?” She laughed. “How very quaint.”

  “What am I supposed to say? Fucking anybody?”

  “That’d be better.” She sipped her beer and gave me a mysterious look. “There might be a guy or two.”

  “Tell me!”

  “He’s here right now, actually.”

  I looked around at the party again but couldn’t pick out anyone I thought she might be with. The more I looked, though, the stranger the vibe suddenly felt. There were older guys interspersed throughout the gathering, guys that didn’t look like they belonged.

  “Where is he?” I asked, looking back at her.

  She nodded toward the trailer. “He’s probably in there.”

  “Is that who you were seeing when you ditched me?”

  She gave me a sly look. “Maybe.”

  “Oh come on! I want to meet him.”

  “I don’t know. He’s private.”

  “Private? What, is he married or something?”

  She laughed. “No, not married. At least he fucking better not be.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Older than us by a few years.”

  “What’s he look like?”

  She sipped her drink. “Tall, dark, and handsome.”

  “Oh come on, Linds, just introduce me.”

  “Maybe a little later.” She looked around and spotted someone. “Oh hey, Tommy!”

  We fell in with another crowd of people and Lindsey introduced me to everyone. As we talked and joked, I kept glancing around the party, the feeling of unease growing in the back of my mind. I could tell something was different about the party.

  On the face of it, everything was exactly the same. But the difference was subtle, a slight shift in the mood. There were the older guys, serious looking guys, but there was something else, too. Like people were afraid to be a little too loud. The first time I had come, I could barely hear the music over the roar of people yelling and laughing.

  But tonight I could hear the music just fine.

  I followed Lindsey and the others across the party and ended up standing by a makeshift beer pong table watching a few people play. It was boring, but Lindsey kept chattering on about the people we were meeting, mostly talking shit.

  And she kept the drinks coming. I only had three, but I was feeling a little giddy, a little light-headed. I wasn’t drunk, not yet at least, but I was well on my way. Lindsey seemed even more manic than she had when the night started.

  “And then she totally licked his balls under the bleachers,” Lindsey said, finishing up a story about a girl we went to high school with.

  “Did anyone see?”

  “Nah. But it definitely happened.”

  I stifled a yawn and glanced at my watch. It was almost midnight, which surprised me. The hours flew by imperceptibly.

  “I’m getting a little tired.”

  “Tired? The night’s still young!”

  “I know, but that doesn’t change anything.”

  She pouted. “Come on, just another hour. Then we’ll go.”

  “I don’t know. Are you okay to drive?” She didn’t answer. Her gaze was suddenly drawn to something over my shoulder, and her face shifted slightly, a big smile creeping across her face. “Linds?”

  “You said you wanted to meet my boyfriend?” she asked.
r />   “Boyfriend? You didn’t say boyfriend.”

  She gave me a look. “Want to meet him or not?”

  “Yeah, absolutely.”

  “Okay, good, because he’s coming over.”

  I turned just as three guys came striding out of the party toward us. They were the same older-looking kind of guys I had been noticing all night, but they looked even more intense. The two guys walking slightly back were almost nondescript with their brown hair and brown eyes, and they looked almost bored.

  But the guy up front was scary. He had tattoos all over his thick, muscular neck. In fact, he looked like one giant ball of muscles, and his intense brown eyes were taking in me and Lindsey like he was hungry for us.

  “Hey, Jay,” Linds said, walking over to him.

  “Lindsey,” he grunted.

  I watched as he grabbed her by her waist. She giggled as he pulled her against him and crushed her mouth with his, kissing her deep and hard.

  They broke away after a second. The two guys that had followed wandered a few feet off, apparently watching the beer pong game. Everyone around us was a little quieter, a little calmer.

  “Jay, this is my friend Becca.” Lindsey nodded at me.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said, his accent a thick French Canadian mess.

  “Hi, Jay. Good to meet you.”

  He smiled and held out his hand. We shook, and his grip was strong in mine. I pulled my hand back quickly, a strange fear mounting in my gut.

  Lindsey hung on his arm and smiled stupidly. “I’ve known Becca forever.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Sure. Her brother is Climber.”

  Jay paused after she said that and then looked back at me, his smile much larger.

  “You are Climber’s sister? I have heard a lot about this Climber.”

  I nodded. “Reid is pretty popular, I guess.”

  “You guess? You must know how popular Climber is. Everyone loves Climber.” He leaned back and laughed.

  I felt profoundly uncomfortable. Lindsey was looking at Jay like she was a love-struck puppy dog, but there was definitely something sinister beneath his exterior. Everything about him screamed bad news, from the tattoos down to the way he held himself. There was just something off about his look and the way he smiled, almost as if he did it just to fit in, not because he felt anything.

  “Do you know where this brother of yours is?” he said to me.

  “Uh, he’s not here.”

  He gave me a look. “Are you sure about that?”

  Before I could respond, someone appeared at my side. I looked up and my mouth dropped open as I saw Reid standing there, staring down Jay like an angry bull.

  “Reid, what the hell are you doing here?” I said, surprised.

  “Jay,” he said, ignoring me. “What are you doing?”

  “Just meeting your lovely sister.”

  “You two know each other?” I asked.

  Jay grinned at me. “Only just.”

  “We should get going, Becca,” Reid said, looking at me.

  I blinked, surprised by his intense expression. I knew something was strange about what was going on, but the way he looked at me suggested it was much worse than I realized.

  “Um, I’m not sure.” I looked at Lindsey. “Are you ready to get going?”

  Jay laughed. “She is fine here. Yes, Lindsey?”

  “Sure. I’m fine, Becca.”

  Jay slapped her ass and laughed loudly. Lindsey just smiled at him stupidly.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Come on, Becca.” Reid grabbed my arm.

  “Sure you must go, Climber? We can have one drink?”

  “Another time.” He started pulling me toward the car.

  “Ow, relax your grip,” I hissed at him.

  “See you around, Climber,” Jay said.

  Reid led me quickly away from the group and back toward the cars. “What the hell was that?” I asked him.

  Once we were safely away, he relaxed his grip but didn’t let me go. “That guy is really bad news.”

  “I know that. But I was fine. Lindsey was with him.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said, opening the passenger door of his truck and helping me inside.

  “Then explain it to me.”

  He climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled out quickly.

  “I can’t. Not right now.”

  “What the hell, Reid? You can’t just pull me away like that.”

  “Yes, I can.” His eyes were locked on the road.

  “Don’t be an asshole,” I said. I could feel my temper rising. “What happened back there?”

  “Your piece of shit friend happened, that’s what.”

  “Don’t talk about her that way.”

  “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Becca? Lindsey is a pill-head loser. She’s not worth your fucking time.”

  I hit his arm. “Don’t say that about her, Reid. Who do you think you are?”

  He ignored my smack. “Don’t be so fucking naïve, Becca. Your friend from high school is long gone, replaced by that pathetic slut.”

  “Fuck you,” I said, angry beyond words.

  He grinned at me. “Gladly.”

  “Seriously. Leave me alone.”

  He looked back at the road. “Whatever you say, college girl.”

  We drove back home in silence. I was seething inside, beyond angry at him. I hated that he just pulled me out of there and then insulted Lindsey like that, as if he didn’t give a shit what I thought.

  I could take care of myself. I knew that Jay guy was bad news and I was getting ready to get out of there on my own. Reid didn’t need to swoop in and save me like I was some baby bird all the time.

  When we were back at the house, I climbed out of the truck and slammed the door. He smirked at me as I stormed inside.

  “Night, Becca,” he said as I got onto the porch.

  I whirled on him. “Don’t come into my room.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “It is. Good night.”

  I threw the door open and went directly upstairs. Cora and my dad were already in bed. I shut my door and locked it.

  I knew I was a little drunk, and maybe overreacting, but I was pissed. So pissed that I didn’t want to see my stepbrother.

  For the first time in what felt like a long time, but was really only a few nights, I fell asleep without Reid’s touch.

  Chapter Eighteen: Reid

  The night was dark and windy as I hiked fast, heading away from the house.

  Becca was safely in her room, probably busy pouting about our fight. If she didn’t want me, then fine, I wouldn’t bother her. She had no clue what I was trying to do for her, no clue at all what I had done for my family, and she was acting like I was an asshole or something.

  Maybe I was. But I didn’t need that shit from her. I didn’t need that shit from anyone.

  I had bigger problems to worry about.

  The forest was quiet as I made my way north toward the van. I couldn’t be in that house with her, not while she was looking at me like I was a piece of shit. The van wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was dry and had plenty of blankets. I’d slept out there many times over the years, though usually it was because I felt trapped at home.

  Now, I was feeling trapped in my own fucking skin.

  It took me less time than I would have guessed to make it to the van. I pulled the door open and climbed in, slamming it shut behind me. Darkness swallowed up the space, and I fumbled with a candle and a lighter. After a minute, weak yellow light illuminated the beat-up interior.

  I leaned back against the wall, a pillow propped up behind my head. I pulled out my phone and idly scrolled through some bullshit social media, mostly trying to distract myself.

  But what had happened earlier kept coming back, over and over.

  It wasn’t just Becca talking to Jay. That was bad enough. But it was what had happened before that, and
what I was going to do about it.

  I hated obsessing, but there was something important that I wasn’t quite seeing. Something that could potentially help get me out of the situation I was making for myself.

  Outside the van, an owl hooted. It probably spotted a mouse scurrying through the thick underbrush and was about to swoop down for the kill.

  I had to be like that owl.

  I had to sharpen my talons.

  I’d gotten a call from Thom earlier that day, well before I dragged Becca away from the party.

  “How’s it coming, Climber?” he asked.

  “Still no money for you, but I’m working on it.”

  “Good. I mean, I have total faith in you.”

  “What do you need?”

  I clenched my jaw, leaning up against my truck. I had just left the Blue, narrowly missing Becca’s shift by only a few minutes. I wasn’t sure why I was avoiding her, but I felt like I needed to put a little distance between us while I tried to figure shit out.

  “I think I have some useful info for you.”

  “Okay. What is it?”

  “Not over the phone.”

  I sighed. Thom was getting more and more paranoid. “Fine. Where?”

  “Meet me tonight at the usual party.”

  “You’re still going to that shit?”

  “Like fucking clockwork, man. You have any clue how many blowjobs I’ve gotten there?”

  “I feel like it doesn’t count if you have to bribe girls with drugs.”

  “Blowjob’s a blowjob, Climber. It always counts.”

  Jesus, what a fucking scumbag.

  “All right, I’ll see you there then.”

  “Later, Climber.”

  He hung up and I looked down at my phone, almost annoyed that it had rung. What else could Thom have found out so fast that I needed to know? If he wasn’t saying shit over the phone, he must have been pretty scared of the mob.

  I spent the rest of the day running bullshit errands, basically anything to keep me away from the house and not thinking too much about what was happening. Eventually I decided to see a movie, just to kill time.

  Finally, when the movie was over, it was just about time to head over. I got into my truck and drove, my headlights cutting through the deep darkness of a rural small town.

  In all my time spent outside of Ridgewood for climbing competitions, I was always surprised by the lights. There were so many of them and everyone seemed to have their own, lights outside of houses and on phones and on streets, lights everywhere, drowning out the sky. Downtown Ridgewood had lights like anywhere else, but as soon as you left the tiny little ten-block radius of downtown, the darkness began to creep back in.